CFD approach used for modelling hydrodynamic analysis and motion characteristics of a remotely operated vehicle

Abstract

Towed underwater vehicles represents essential tools for providing safe access to the underwater world with many applications including ocean research, naval operations, inspection and repair different of undersea structures. Recently, there is a necessity to use smaller underwater vehicles, tethered or untethered by ship in rivers, lakes or oceans. This underwater vehicle represents an integral part of scientific equipment to explore the seas and oceans. Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is one of these vehicles which consists of a surface body, connecting cable and underwater vehicle. The dynamic behavior of Remotely operated vehicle (translational and rotational motion or velocity, also sum of all forces acting on the system) is numerically investigated. This paper provided a model used for simulation and modeling approach to obtain the hydrodynamic characteristics of an underwater vehicle using computational fluid dynamic (performed by the Ansys CFX). This is the preliminary design stage where extensive hydrodynamic test facilities are not available.